The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-12-24
Our @lio.
THE WEDDING RING.
A history of this symbol of matrimon,


The wedding ring is made the subject Of
an article by DR.. McNally in the Popular
Science Monthly for November OF all the
ornaments with which vanity, superstition
and affection have decorated the human
form few have more curious bits of history
than. the finger ring. All other ornaments
must be laid aside at some time or another
for various reasons; nor mutilation is neces-
sary-the ear must be bored, the nose
pierced, or the lips or cheeks slit, and af-
ter the completion of these surgical opera
tons the ornament is generally inconven-
lent and sometimes even painful. In
direct contrast with other ornaments of its
kind is the finger ring It is seldom lost,
for it need not be taken off; requires no
preparatory mutilatien of the body, is not
cumbersome or painful, is always in view,
perpetual reminder either of the giver
or of the purpose for which it is worn.
To these reasons the writer ascribes the
popularity of the finger ring, the inten-
ton of which is traced in Hebrew tradition
to Tubal- Cain, the Instructor of every
artifcer in brass and IRON The barbar-
ic lover, like the swain of civilized and
modern days, "for the purposes of a love
gift could find nothing more suitable than
the ring And when the agonies of court
ship finally settled into the steady troubles
of matrimony it was not remarkable that
this token of affection should remain on
the finger of the bride, or be removed to
be succeeded by another of similar kind =
Continuing, the writer says: The uses
of the finger ring have been many and
diverse. Originally purely for ornament,
it became the signet for kings and war
rant for their messengers to civil officers
it was once an emblem of office, and to
ecclesiastics an indispensable portion of
the episcopal costume. It was worn by
physicians to prevent contagion, and by
patients to cure disease; the timerous
wore it as charm against evil spirits, and
the ambitious chung to it as talisman,
giving the wearer success over his enemies.
But as a love-token and symbol of mar
rage the use of the ring is so general, and
so long standing, as to dwarf into insig-
nifcance its employment in all other direc-
tons.
A FACTOR IN THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY.
At what period it came to be used as 6
recognized factor in the marriage ceremony
it is impossible to say. The writer says !:
aThe Hebrews used it in very early ages,
and probably borrowed the custom from
the Egyptians, among whome the wedding
ring was known-a circle, in the language
of hieroglyphics, being the symbol of eter-
nifty, aud the embodiment of the circle
readily symbolizing the hypothetical dura
ton of the welded love. The Greeks
used wedding rings, so did the Romans, both
putting them on the fore fnger-by the
way, a practice followed by the medieval
painters, many of whom represent the
Virgins ring on her forefnger. In the
East, where the popular estimate of woman
is low, the use of the wedding ring has
not been common, though occasionally a
favorite wife of an Oriental monarch
would receive from her master a ring as
mark of his favor. The conclusion, there.
fore, is safe that with increase of respect
for the institution of marriage come also
increased respect for and use of the ring
as token of the alliance
During part of the Middle Ages Gus
tom demanded that the wedding ring
should cost as much as the bridegroom
could afford to pay, and there are records
in Germany and France of large invest
ments made in this way. The revulsion
brought us the plain gold circlct Of to-
day.
MATERIALS AND STYLES OF THE RINGS.
The materials of which the wedding
rings have been made are as diverse as the
nations which have used the rings. The
British Museum shows rings of bone and
hard wood found in the Swiss lakes; an
ivory ring from an Egyptian tomb; an iron
ring once worn by Roman matron, and
rings of bone, ivory, copper, brass, lead, tin.
silver, gold, and some of composite of
several of these metals, the inscriptions or
designs of which make it certain that they
were wedding rings.
The use of such variety of materials 10
wedding rings does not indicate changes of
fashion, for these collections are from many
different lands. Still there is no doubt
that fashion sometimes had an influence u
determining the style and material of the
ring For instance, during the sixteenth
century the proper wedding ring Of France
consisted of several links Joined so as to
seem but one, and during the palmy days
of astrology the horoscopes of both con
tracing parties were sometimes indicated
in the setting of the ring. Wedding rings
were also often made with cavity to con-
tain medical preparations to restore health
or avert evil. After the Crusades had set
Europe in fame the practice of wearing
ring in which was set fragment of the
true cross became common in France, Ger
many and England. Ass-hoof rings were
at one time popular in Spain as cure for
epilepsy, and such a ring (made it is said
from the hoof of the ass that carried Christ
into Jerusalen) was used in wedding near
Madrid in 1881
ABOUT PRECIOUS STONES.
When precious stones were used the
dominance of fashion was absolute, and was
fixed by the month in which the bride was
born.
If in January, the stone was garnet, be-
lieved to have the power of winning the
wearer friends wherever she went If in
February, her ring was set with an anne
thyst, which not only promoted in her the
quality of sincerity but protected her from
poison and from slanderous tongues The
blood-stone was for March, making her
wise, and enabling her with patience to
bear domestic cares; the diamond for April,
keeping her heart innocent end pure SO long
as she wore the gem. An emerald for May
made her happy wife, while an agate for
june gave her health and protection from
fairies and ghosts. If born in July the
stone was ruby, which tended to keep
her free from jealousy of her husband;
while in August the sardonyx made her
happy in the maternal relation In Sep
TENDER sapphire was the proper stone, it
preventing quarrels between the welded
pair; in October carbuncle was chosen
to promote her love of home. The No